


Tiny but Fierce

by whiskeyandspite



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: F/M, First Date, Fluff, not much though, set post Cold Days, very slight spoilers for Cold Days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 20:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/727782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiskeyandspite/pseuds/whiskeyandspite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The most accurate description of Karrin Murphy that I have ever heard was told to me by a black Russian.</i>
</p><p>After years and freaking years, it's about time Harry and Karrin had a proper date, yes?</p><p>I think so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tiny but Fierce

**Author's Note:**

> This was a challenge set me by a friend of mine, just a silly fluffy little thing.

The most accurate description of Karrin Murphy that I have ever heard was told to me by a black Russian.

_“I like her.” Sanya had said. “She’s tiny… but fierce.”_

Anyone who has the unfortunate luck of getting in her way knows this first hand. She puts Mr. Miyagi to shame with the amount of badass that tiny frame can deliver. I’d seen her fell creatures three times my size and not break a sweat. I’ve experienced her felling ME when in a particularly foul mood – or just vindictive, I did come back from the dead without leaving a message, that hadn’t gone over well – and the things that woman can do with a staff are frightening.

And… listing all her qualities did not make it any easier to get ready for the date.

Conversely, it reminded me what I was in for if I messed this up.

-

= Two days previous =

It was raining in Chicago. And cold. Not really anything unusual unless you factor in that it was in the middle of June and technically summer. The Courts had been quiet in recent months and I had decided to naively assume that I wouldn’t be called on for yet another impossible task before the day was done. But that’s the danger with Faerie, assuming nothing will happen almost guarantees that something will.

Molly hadn’t spoken to me since Halloween. She’d left messages through normal means and supernatural ones that she was alright and that she did not want to be disturbed or found. I knew the grasshopper well enough to understand that if she didn’t want to be found she wouldn’t be; I wasn’t the only one who had taught her to stay hidden and protected, Lea had done her fair share of damage.

I knew my apprentice could take care of herself well enough. It didn’t help with worrying though. 

I’d busied myself with rebuilding the weapons I had lost in the year I had been dead; my staff, my shield bracelet, the charms protecting my leather duster… it took time and made me feel more or less like myself again.

Demonreach – the spirit of the island who I had joined myself with – had been quiet but ever present, letting me experience more of the island on my own and not hindering me in exploring the catacombs that lay hidden beneath it. Admittedly I rarely spent time down there. It was creepy, what can I say? Even after all the things I’d seen and fought against, the place made me feel terror few creatures ever did.

I was just climbing down from thatching the roof of the cottage – third time this week – drenched and very much keen for a hot bath, when a sizeable, very fluffy and very wet faerie zipped to float in front of my nose.

“Don’t tell me Thomas forgot my usual order.” I grumbled, clinging to the ladder as Toot flittered in front of me, back and forth, seemingly agitated.

“No my lord, the pizza comes once a week as promised and anticipated sir!”

“Then to what do I owe the pleasure?” I made to move down and nearly slid off as Toot flew closer to my face, making to emphasize the importance of his presence.

“Harry Dresden did ask me to remind him that he has a date tomorrow evening with Miss Murphy, sir.”

You know the expression people use? ‘One’s blood ran cold’? Quite accurate. How could I have forgotten?

I’m sure I cursed something violent – Toot didn’t seem to notice beyond floating around my head a few times and giving me an inquisitive look – before braving the perilous climb down again and squelching into the mud at the bottom.

“I uh… yes. I did. Thank you, Commander, excellent work.”

Toot looked almost painfully pleased with himself.

“Would the Za Lord like any messages returned with Toot?” he asked. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to think in a single linear formation. The closest I got was envisioning every single thing that could go wrong with this date and all their gruesome outcomes. Not quite linear, and not very helpful. What I did need was a boat.

“Ask Thomas if he can come get me,” I said, “The sooner the better. I’ll sense him when he gets close to the island. And let the troops know there’s extra pizza this week for your prompt delivery.”

For a moment I was afraid the little faerie would burst from excitement. Toot whirled in the air, sending sheets of water cascading off his armour – glossy tin cans and bottle caps – and weapons – the carefully bound craft knife and tiny nail-daggers – before nodding frantically, giving me a shaky but accurate salute and zipping away as fast as he’d come.

I returned to the cottage, confident that the thatch would hold for the night at least, and set about worrying myself to sleep.

-

“You need a haircut.”

“Shut up.”

“And a shower.”

“Shut it…”

“Actually…”

“Thomas, just don’t.”

My brother laughed his stupid perfect laugh and kept the Water Beetle skimming over the lake at its fastest cruising speed. I hadn’t slept much, my night fraught with nightmares of how this could go horribly wrong, and I didn’t need my perfect brother telling me how imperfect my entire being was at the moment.

Thomas gave me a sympathetic smile.

“Harry, calm down. The more you worry the worse the scenarios in your head get.”

“How do you know what’s in my head?” I grumbled, watching Chicago get closer and closer as the Water Beetle continued on its way.

“I know that you overanalyse everything.” He replied, “And you have enough on your mind without worrying about Karrin rejecting you.”

I glared at him. Thomas just shrugged.

“She won’t, Harry.”

“How do you know?” I asked, frowning, “I doubt a woman has ever rejected you in your life.”

“I won’t argue that.” Prick. “But I know Karrin well enough to know that she wouldn’t ask you out only to reject you.”

Well, he did have a point… Murph had been the one to do the asking, I had been the one to do the awkward fumbling and muttered agreeing.

“You’ll need to have some really bad sex before she does.” He concluded calmly, steering the Beetle into its spot in the harbour. I had to laugh. Annoyingly perfect as my brother was, over the years he’d learned when to say the right thing to distract me from my imminent doom. We’d had our fair share of practice.

“Thanks, Thomas.” I pronounced his name with a fake nasally French accent, ‘Toe-mas’. He let out a long suffering sigh, smiling as he killed the engine.

“Will you ever let me forget that?” he asked.

“In a few hundred years, when we’re old and wrinkly and senile, sure.” I replied, moving to tie the mooring lines, “By that point both of us will.”

-

On some base level I knew that it was pathetic of me to be this frightened.

I’d faced down Outsiders, werewolves, the entire Red Court, Denarians… and yet the idea of a date with my oldest and closest friend was what made me break out in a cold sweat as I attempted to find something in my closet that didn’t make me look like an overgrown adolescent. That was either very sad or very ironic. Or both.

The problem was, that the last time we’d talked – before Murph had showed up on the island on a small speedboat that she’d borrowed from somewhere about a week ago – Karrin had been the one to reject my offer of a relationship. All her arguments had been sound and as much as it was a complete kick in the gut we let it go amicably. Hence the panic I felt when she’d arrived with supplies instead of Thomas and proposed a date for the next week.

And now here I was in Molly’s apartment, in a room she had specifically left for me that reminded me of my old place, staring at myself in a pair of jeans, heavy work boots and a worn Zepplin shirt, wondering if I should find a pressed shirt and dig out a tie from somewhere. My hair lay in a long wavy mop against my head and there was very little I could do to tame it beyond getting rid of it altogether. I doubted that would be met well, though it would be memorable.

Eventually I settled on a loose comfortable plain black shirt and my duster. It was still raining – harder here in the city than it had been on the island – and with the charms back in place I didn’t want to leave the house without it. I adjusted my shield bracelet on my left hand and checked myself in the mirror for the last time before leaving out the back way where the night guard knew me by face.

-

Ever since the Outsider had ravished Mac’s it had been on lockdown. Accorded neutral ground or not, no one was allowed into the place under pain of a few very nasty wards I’d helped the man set up.

In the eight months I’d spent on the island, Mac had done a good job reworking the bar. It still had thirteen poles holding up the ceiling, thirteen tables and the same specific angles made to seep magic through them without causing harm to anyone inside. He had, however, adjusted the place to be much more sturdy, both physically and on the other planes anyone might decide to enter or attack the place by. In the Nevernever it was a fortress worthy of a double take.

The charred “Accorded Neutral Ground” sign still held its place of honor above the door when I walked in, smiling at Mac and receiving a brief nod and a grunt in reply. The man had never been a big talker but ever since October he’d said far less and avoided me much more. Not that he had to try hard with the latter, Demonreach was far enough away from MacAnally’s to not warrant constant vigilance from the man. Still, it was both sad and unnerving to feel this strange tension come from the man.

But everyone had their secrets.

The bar wasn’t full for a Friday evening – perhaps regulars were still wary of the place – and it was easy to find a table. I gestured for Mac to get me two of my regulars and waited, feeling my heart try to pound its way out of my chest. Mac’s brew was a welcome and delicious distraction.

The bike’s engine purred on the street outside and I felt myself smile despite my heart rate tripling its tango against my throat. Within a few moments the door opened and a tiny blonde woman walked in wearing an impeccably tailored suit – low V cut in the front – and a ruffled silken blouse in dark navy under it.

I felt myself smile wider. Without trying, Karrin Murphy was a beautiful woman. When she tried… she was stunning. I waved to catch her attention and was rewarded with a small smile from under her hair. She’d changed the style since I’d seen her last, it was now cut very short around the side and back, with a shock of side fringe that fell just below her left eyebrow.

“You couldn’t have forked out for a dress, Murph?” I joked, grinning. She raised an eyebrow.

“And you couldn’t have found anything in your closet that didn’t make you look like a teenage fanboy?”

“Touché.”

Karrin smiled and sat down, glancing around the room out of practice, scoping out the exits, before returning her eyes to me. I couldn’t help but stare. She’d lined her eyes with silver and black and it was mesmerizing.

“You going to stare at me all night, Dresden?” she asked, deadpan, but there was a smile curling on her lips, and a slight blush that didn’t help my want to stare.

“I was contemplating kissing you senseless but that could be seen as not gentlemanly.” I replied.

Karrin just raised an eyebrow. “And you’re the poster boy for gentlemanly.”

I pretended to look indignant and she laughed. It was a nice sound, a rare one. Not the hysterical adrenaline-fuelled giggle from Demonreach, but a warm genuinely happy laugh. Our dinner arrived and I used the excuse to study how the muscles in her throat stretched as she thanked Mac and watched him leave.

“So why the change of heart?” I asked, unfolding my hands to start on dinner. Karrin snorted quietly.

“The island’s shot your tact to hell.”

“Nonsense.” I retorted, “I don’t believe I ever possessed tact. And you’re avoiding the question.” I met her eyes with a small smile. The last time we’d talked about this she’d told me no. She’d asked for time, worried about my lifestyle as the Winter Knight, brought up Molly, brought up the fact that she would die long before I would age… anything to make me reconsider. Anything to convince herself it was a bad idea.

Now she was frowning at me in that way she had when she knew I had a point but refused to admit it. After a moment she took a long drink of Mac’s brew and licked her lips.

“It’s less a change of heart and more a change of mind,” she said quietly, looking me in the eyes as she answered. She parted her lips to speak again but thought better of it and chewed her bottom lip instead. It was rather fetching. I decided directing my full attention to my steak sandwich was probably the wisest call for the moment.

“I told you I needed time.” She continued after a moment, “And… time passed. Nothing has changed since October. You’re still the Winter Knight. You’ll still outlive me by a few lifetimes but… we’ve been dancing this jig for years, Harry, both aware of it and neither doing anything about it.”

“Until October.” I replied. She nodded.

“Until October. You made your move and…”

“And you rebutted it.” I said calmly, no resentment. Karrin frowned and let out a frustrated breath.

“I gave you reasons.”

“And something changed in eight months,” I said, smiling a little, “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here, beating about the bush again.” She smiled thinly and sighed again.

“It’s everything, I think.” She said finally. “The last few years, everything that’s happened, it’s hard to pretend that death is a distant inevitability. And to be honest I’ve never stopped regretting that day at the pier.”

I blinked. That was years ago now.

“Maybe if I’d gotten there faster, I could have done something, none of this would have happened and…” she shrugged helplessly, “It’s selfish, I know, but when you asked me that day, I hadn’t felt so giddy since before I met my ex-husband.”

I blinked. “Backhanded compliment?”

Karrin laughed. “A rather straightforward one. I was excited. I wanted to be there. And when I thought I’d lost you…” she smiled a little. “Harry I can’t do that again. I can’t hope you keep getting brought back by some entity or other to do their bidding. One of these days it just won’t happen.”

I nodded slowly, offering a small smile of my own.

“No time like the present?”

“Pretty much.” She sighed, cocking her head a little, “We have this. Now. And if I keep worrying about it something else will come up and add to the list.”

“Christ, maybe I should kiss you to shut you up before you talk yourself out of this again.”

She glared at me but there was no heat in it.

“Shut up.”

“Good thing with my kiss idea,” I continued, “It has the added bonus of shutting me up too.”

Karrin just shook her head before grinning and sitting forward to kiss me first.

She still tasted like strawberries.

And I will admit I was grinning like a fool when she pulled away.

“You better keep your word though.” She commented idly, starting on her own dinner, eyes on her plate as she carefully cut her steak. I could feel my face heating up before smirking.

“You better keep yours.”

The look she gave me before slowly chewing her food made my stomach flip.

“Is dinner really necessary?” I asked, trying to distract myself with my beer. I gestured for Mac to bring over two more. Karrin did glare at me this time.

“Mandatory.” She said, a smirk creeping to her face, “And I expect dessert too. And a romantic walk to my bike when it’s over.”

I laughed, accepting the fresh beer and taking a long drink.

“And a cheesy good night kiss?”

“The works.” She confirmed as I joined her in eating. Amusing as the conversation was, as fluttery as my heart felt at that moment, Mac’s food is not something one wastes. Ever. Not even when the prospect of another kiss was teasingly wafted at me.

We ate in comfortable silence, alternating between watching the patrons of the bar and sneaking glances at each other. I felt like a kid again and as the night – and the beers – wore on, Karrin relaxed more, laughing more freely, matching my teasing shot for shot. She was beautiful and somewhere at the back of my mind a tiny voice piped up that she was also mine.

I hadn’t felt this free in years.

I paid the bill, amused at Karrin’s feeble protests despite her demands of ‘proper date protocol’ earlier, and took her hand without a word, leading her out. It was still raining and I wrapped us both in my duster, feeling Karrin hug me gently around the middle as we walked to where her bike was parked.

I would probably never get over how tiny Karrin was standing next to me. I casually reminded her and got a glare and a well-aimed smack against my chest.

“Harsh.”

“Fair.”

She was smiling, one hand in the pocket of her suit holding her keys, the other resting where she’d hit me, stroking the spot lightly with her thumb.

“I guess this is good night then,” I murmured, smiling. She smirked before clearing her expression and giving me a patient look. My smile widened. I touched the tip of her nose gently before leaning down to kiss her again, taking my time like I hadn’t been able to on Demonreach, like Karrin hadn’t let me in MacAnally’s earlier, feeling her step closer, return the kiss just as softly, enjoying it as much as I was.

“Drive safe.” I whispered. She let out a slow breath and opened her eyes again, watching me. after a moment she pulled away and put on her helmet, adjusting the straps to be comfortable, before mounting the bike and starting it up. I stood back, hands in the pockets of my duster, and watched her turn the bike the way she wanted it to go.

She pulled up alongside me and raised her visor, a playful smirk on her face.

“You know, a few months ago Molly had my bike approved at security.” She said casually. “Svartalves or no, I do have the spare key to your apartment.” She grinned. My eyebrows had shot up at the news and Karrin just smiled wider.

“Don’t go anywhere.” She suggested before winking and lowering the visor again. She revved the bike and drove away, leaving me in an empty parking lot in the rain, grinning like a kid at Christmas.

Guess I needed to stock up the fridge.


End file.
